Sitting pretty on Gasfinolhu island in the Maldives is Club Med Finolhu Villas, an adults-only resort perfect for couples who desire luxury living and bespoke service, full-board of course! From the moment you get off the plane at Male International Airport, Club Med GOs (Gentle Organisers) are on-hand to greet and bring you aboard a swanky yacht complete with an air-conditioned saloon, carpeted flooring, mini bar and flat-screen TV. In just 40-minutes, you arrive at a modern minimalist jetty where a multi-national welcoming party awaits your arrival.
Finolhu, in local language Dhivehi, means island or sand bank. The resort is exactly that – a private beach only 1km long surrounded by a jewel-like lagoon. It comes fully equipped with everything you need for an upscale beach holiday – a fine dining restaurant, tennis court, gym, spa, boutique, pool bar, reading room and collection of 52 eco-chic villas. The best time to visit is between January and April.
According to chief of village, Merlin Chelliah, the premium resort was created out of demand. She handles the operations for both Finolhu Villas and newly-upgraded Club Med Kani Premium Resort, just a five-minute boat ride away. "In Club Med you have different types of clientele – ones who hang out on the beach all day and only use their rooms to shower and sleep. Then you have the affluent guest who wants to be pampered with personalised service and premium facilities," she describes. "You come to Club Med Kani because of the people; they make a difference to your holiday. Where luxury properties are concerned, you come because of the product. With Finolhu Villas, Club Med is venturing into something that's needed and we see this demand growing."
The Finolhu Villas' experience is about the little touches that made our stay memorable such as the sweet notes they leave in our villas, iPads on demand, and a "there but not there" attentiveness without encroaching on personal space. If this isn't enough to lure you in to the spellbinding beauty of Finolhu Villas, here are five more reasons to book your next vacay there!
Chic contemporary digs
There are 22 beach villas and 30 lagoon villas, facing either the sunset or sunrise, each with spacious living areas, outdoor terrace and plunge pool. Finolhu Villas has a modern, homely approach to its design - conceived by French architect and interior designer Meriem Hall - which sports pod-like units with tiled roofs instead of straw, and contemporary interiors with colourful details. In the lagoon villas, you wake up to an expansive view of the Indian Ocean and have direct access to the crystal blue waters below, where shy stingrays hover by or baby reef sharks forage for kelp. For serious sun-tanners, the beach villas are cleverly partitioned so that couples feel like they have their own private beach.
Upscale personalised service
Finolhu Villas offer exceptional high-end concierge services including your own personal butler who will handle check-ins and check-outs, and facilitate breakfast and afternoon tea served to your villa. The Spa by ILA, which uses British skincare brand ILA, blends yoga and meditation into its menu of treatments, promising an invigorating experience. At Motu restaurant, in-house chefs concoct recipes from around the world, allowing guests to enjoy culinary creations for the buffet lunch and a la carte dinner. Everything here is customisable if you give them ample time to prepare, such as arranging a dinner for two under the stars on a private sand bank.
Activities galore
A holiday in the Maldives is not complete without partaking in Finolhu Villas' plethora of on-land activities like cooking classes, dance lessons, tennis and watersports. Snorkelling is free but scuba diving, water skiing, parasailing and jet skiing are chargeable. You can hop over to Kani Premium Resort and enjoy complimentary kayaking and sailing. Other ways to discover the beauty of the Maldives is to book excursions such as a private cruise with lobster lunch, sunset cruise, scenic flights, city tours and snorkelling adventures. Finolhu Villas really comes alive when the sun sets, with cool lounge music played at the Pool Bar, and nightly movies screened under the stars.
Eco warrior
Finolhu Villas are constructed with sustainability using energy-saving construction techniques and solar-powered energy. The solar panels, covering the walkways of the lagoon villas and jetty are capable of producing more than enough energy when the island is at full occupancy. The resort's power system is automated and computer programmed, and can switch from solar to diesel power when necessary, particularly when there is continuous rain and no sunlight.
Free access to its sister resort
As with any Club Med property, you enjoy an all-inclusive holiday that covers meals, free-flow drinks, snacks, sports and leisure activities. As a Finolhu guest, you can take a boat over to Kani to join in the social fun. Enjoy "live" shows and nightly themed parties, but just be prepared to dine with the GOs (a Club Med culture) and join in the synchronised dancing!
10 HAPPY DAYS PROMOTION: Enjoy up to $650 savings off your next Club Med holiday if you book between 24 August to 2 September 2015, and travel before April 2016. Promo applies to various ski resorts: Hokkaido Sahoro and Yabuli (min. 5 nights); Pragelato, Valmorel and Val Thorens Sensations (min. 7 nights) and sun resorts: Bali, Bintan Island, Cherating, Phuket and Kani (min. 3 nights).
